The Earth might seem solid and still, but it’s made of four powerful layers, each with its own unique materials, temperatures, and movement. Let’s take a journey from the crust all the way to the core.
The crust – Earth’s hard shell
This is the thinnest layer—but it’s the one we live on.
It’s made of solid rock like granite and basalt.
There are two types:
Continental crust (thicker, under land)
Oceanic crust (thinner, under oceans)
The crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates, which slowly move and cause earthquakes.
Fun Fact: The crust makes up less than 1% of Earth’s volume.
The mantle – hot, slow-moving rock
Beneath the crust lies the mantle, which makes up about 84% of Earth’s volume.
It’s made of semi-solid rock that flows very slowly, like thick taffy.
This slow flow causes the tectonic plates above to drift.
Temperature ranges from 500°C to 4,000°C.
Fun Fact: Magma comes from the mantle—and when it erupts, it becomes lava.
The outer core – liquid metal in motion
Now we’re really deep—about 2,900 kilometers below the surface.
This layer is made of liquid iron and nickel.
It’s constantly moving, and that motion creates Earth’s magnetic field, which protects us from the sun’s radiation.
Temperature here reaches up to 6,000°C.
Fun Fact: Compasses point north because of the outer core!
The inner core – a solid metal ball
At the very center of Earth is the inner core:
It’s a solid ball made mostly of iron.
Even though it’s as hot as the sun’s surface, it stays solid because of the immense pressure.
It’s about 1,200 kilometers thick.
